Brian D’Andrea, President
Century Villages at Cabrillo (CVC)
310.642.2059
bdandrea@centuryvillages.org

Today the City of Long Beach, in partnership with The Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC) and Century Housing Corporation, celebrated the grand opening of Anchor Place, a 120-unit supportive housing development for families and veterans experiencing homelessness.

“Long Beach remains dedicated to ensuring that all Veterans who have served our country have access to quality housing,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Anchor Place is a testament to our commitment to ending homelessness and supporting our veterans.”

Located within the Century Villages at Cabrillo (CVC) community, the five-story development includes 75 units reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness and 45 units set aside for extremely low-income residents. Anchor Place consists of a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, extensive open space, and courtyard recreational areas.

“Providing affordable, safe, and secure housing for a veterans and families is a key to addressing the City’s housing needs,” said Councilmember Roberto Uranga. “This development will support the tremendous efforts at the Century Villages at Cabrillo, and further promote vibrant and diverse communities.”

“The Department of Health and Human Services is a central player in working to find housing solutions for homeless individuals, families, and veterans in our City,” said Kelly Colopy, Director of Health and Human Services. “It truly takes a village and incredible vision to make this possible — Century Housing, many different funding streams, and service providers have been instrumental in our efforts to provide housing for the homeless population in Long Beach.”

Rents are subsidized through a combination of 75 project-based Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers provided by the Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach (HACLB); and Housing for Health, a County of Los Angeles flexible housing subsidy program. The vouchers will provide $720,000 annually, or a total of $10.8 million, to ensure housing support for homeless veterans for an initial 15-year period.

“The LBCIC is proud to invest in supportive housing communities that improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable segment of our population,” said John Thomas, The LBCIC Chair. “Anchor Place will help fill a critical need for safe affordable housing and be a valuable addition to the Century Villages at Cabrillo.”

CVC is a vibrant, supportive housing community that is home to more than 1,500 residents, including veterans, homeless families, and those at-risk of experiencing homelessness. Anchor Place is the fifth phase of the 27-acre CVC campus development, and the project includes the restoration of the original social hall at the former Savannah Cabrillo Naval Housing complex along with transit infrastructure improvements along River Avenue.

“Century is very proud of Anchor Place and what has been created in the larger Villages at Cabrillo community," said Ronald M. Griffith, President & CEO of Century Housing. “We are grateful for the investment and contributions of our many partners that have created this special community where lives are being transformed.”

The project is an inaugural awardee of the State of California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, funded through proceeds of the State’s cap-and-trade auctions. These funds along with grant monies from private foundations will support the relocation of the Long Beach Transit bus stop located just outside the Anchor Place development into the heart of the CVC campus. The new transit hub along River Avenue will help meet the evolving needs of the community and create affordable, accessible, and greener transportation solutions, helping to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

“Thanks to our partners, the Anchor Place complex has provided an opportunity to marry so many important public policy initiatives; from helping to reduce veteran and family homelessness, to improving the connectivity of the Villages at Cabrillo community through our new campus transit hub, to investing in key infrastructure assets in our community, and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brian D’Andrea, Senior VP of Century Housing and President of Century Villages at Cabrillo. “Century thanks the City of Long Beach for its leadership in bringing about these results.”

“It gives us great pride as a company to invest in an affordable housing project that supports so much of what we value,” said Lesley Milovich, Head of Community Lending & Investments at Wells Fargo. “Anchor Place will provide safe, affordable housing for those who have sacrificed for our country, and we’re thrilled that it will benefit veterans and their families for generations to come.”

Funding for Anchor Place was provided through a variety of funding sources to include:

A HOME loan from The LBCIC.

Construction financing from Wells Fargo Bank;

An Affordable Housing Program (AHP) loan.

A Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) loan through the County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) and the California Housing Finance Agency

Financing from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) through the State of California and the Strategic Growth Council.

Grants from the County of Los Angeles Community Development Commission (LACDC), the Ahmanson Foundation, the Home Depot Foundation, and the 11th Hour Foundation

A permanent loan from the California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC).

An equity investment by Wells Fargo through an allocation of tax credits from the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC).

Century Housing Corporation is a mission driven 501c3 nonprofit organization that engages in the financing and development of affordable housing. Century develops and preserves affordable housing through its 501c3 affiliates, Century Villages at Cabrillo (“CVC”) and Century Affordable Development, Inc.

About Long Beach Development Services

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